It does not seem to bother the children that Christmas is so close. Why is it they never seem to have any trouble getting ready for it? We older and wiser ones make a much harder thing of it; we always insist there is so much to do to get ready. Perhaps the difference is that the children are content to let Christmas happen, while we are so sure that it can't happen unless we do all the right things to make it happen. Many of the things we do to adorn this season, to set the stage for the drama that is coming, are certainly good, and belong there, that is, so long as they do not take over so completely that we have no time or room for that other kind of preparation, which is nothing more nor less than being ready, like the children, to let Christmas happen in its own way. Or perhaps we should say, to let it happen in God's own way! There is a comparison to be drawn here with the kind of preparation that God urged upon people of old before Christmas happened the first time. Isaiah offers us a somewhat different perspective on the kinds of preparations we ought to be making for the coming of Christ. Isaiah speaks in this passage of three very different promises that God will fulfill in the coming of Jesus Christ into our world.
I. The Promise Of Judgment
The first promise may sound somewhat strange to our ears because it is the promise of judgment that Christ's coming will bring to the world. Isaiah says, "Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God." As the ancient prophets looked forward to the Messiah's entrance into the world, they saw something we often miss - that the Christ of Bethlehem is the same Christ who comes to judge the earth and to live and reign forever.We cannot ignore the judgment of Christmas--There is an imminent judgment right there in Christ's birth, a judgment that goes hand in hand with our Lord's coming to be the bringer of salvation. The judgment of Christmas is like that--It comes, Christ comes, to rescue and to save us--But we can hide from all that if we choose. We know the hiding places in our lives well enough to keep from ever meeting the Child of Bethlehem. We can watch from the safety of our busy preparations as the Christmas event comes and then passes on. And we may well weep for having rejected its hope when Christmas is past. As Jesus himself once said in John 3:19, "This is the judgment - that light has entered the world and men have preferred darkness to light." Isaiah foretold the coming glory and majesty of the Lord, but he knew that any such coming brings with it a judgment. If we choose to stay hidden in our preferred darkness, we may well discover to our sorrow what the judgment of Christmas is all about.
II. The Promise Of Exciting Changes
But happily Isaiah could see in the promise of the Messiah's coming other preparations that would bring joy to the hearts of people. This passage describes the promise of exciting changes that will take place in the world. When God comes into the world, there will be a revolutionary newness to things, a shifting from the status quo to a whole new order of life. Just listen as Isaiah describes a few of those exciting changes: "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy."
Christmas does change things, doesn't it? It changes the looks of our homes and our community. It changes our stores and our city streets, our highways and our air terminals. It changes the pattern of life from dull routine to excited anticipation. And of course, it changes things like our bank balance and perhaps even our waistlines! Sometimes it even changes our attitudes just a bit. For at least a few weeks, there seems to be a touch of goodwill that is not felt in other seasons of the year.Now these exciting changes are fine as far as they go, but the exciting changes Isaiah foretold run much deeper. They are changes that strike at the very roots of life, and changes that go well beyond the Christmas season. What Isaiah is trying to describe is the simple fact that since Jesus Christ entered our world, nothing has ever been the same again. Our relationship with God is different. Our call to be a part of Christ's mission in the world is different. Our understanding of what is truly lasting and important is different. The world has never quite been the same place since God's Messiah came among us. Christmas helps remind us of the truth Isaiah could see so clearly: the coming of the Christ means exciting changes - changes in us and in our world that will last long after Christmas is past.
III. The Promise Of Togetherness
Christmas judgment and Christmas changes and now one more reality that Isaiah hoped to prepare us for: Christmas togetherness. Isaiah writes, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." It is almost as if Isaiah could foresee a drawing together of people, a coming home again, a time when the walls that divide us would be taken down, and the people of the world would know a harmony and togetherness never known before.
Now perhaps you are saying, "What's so unusual about that?" All kinds of people come home for Christmas. We have declared a cease fire in our wars for Christmas! Isn't that quite naturally what happens in the world at Christmastime? But Isaiah would be quick to tell us that what he is talking about is much more than a simple homecoming or a cessation of hostilities. Isaiah could foresee what is so often missing in our lives all year long - a peace with God and with one another that is so desperately needed in our world. How often all our feverishness and scurrying about before Christmas and during the holidays really serves to keep us apart rather than truly bringing us together.
Perhaps youve heard the story about one home where on a hectic night-before-Christmas the father was busy with bundles and chores and upset over the bills. Mother's nerves were frayed.The little daughter was constantly in the way, no matter what she did.
Finally she was sent off to bed with some harsh words and a hasty "Good Night." As she prayed the Lord's Prayer alone before going to sleep, the high-pitched tension of the day took its toll; her mind was a little mixed up when she came to the middle of the prayer and said, "And forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."
"Forgive us our Christmases!" How many of us need to pray that prayer?! All too often we let the madness we inject into Christmas drive us further apart instead of letting the peace of Christmas draw us together in a whole new way. Christmas togetherness is not something we manufacture within ourselves. It is God's wondrous gift that turns our hearts outward toward one another. It is God who breaks down all that divides us from one another - even our crazy Christmas celebrations - and finally brings us the true joy of the Lord's grace and mercy and love. Those are the realities that Isaiah could see in the coming of the Messiah: judgment, Christmas changes and Christmas togetherness. As you prepare once more for the Lord's coming, be sure you make time for the realities in Christmas that can change your life now and for all time.
Merry Christmas Everyone,
SG
I. The Promise Of Judgment
The first promise may sound somewhat strange to our ears because it is the promise of judgment that Christ's coming will bring to the world. Isaiah says, "Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God." As the ancient prophets looked forward to the Messiah's entrance into the world, they saw something we often miss - that the Christ of Bethlehem is the same Christ who comes to judge the earth and to live and reign forever.We cannot ignore the judgment of Christmas--There is an imminent judgment right there in Christ's birth, a judgment that goes hand in hand with our Lord's coming to be the bringer of salvation. The judgment of Christmas is like that--It comes, Christ comes, to rescue and to save us--But we can hide from all that if we choose. We know the hiding places in our lives well enough to keep from ever meeting the Child of Bethlehem. We can watch from the safety of our busy preparations as the Christmas event comes and then passes on. And we may well weep for having rejected its hope when Christmas is past. As Jesus himself once said in John 3:19, "This is the judgment - that light has entered the world and men have preferred darkness to light." Isaiah foretold the coming glory and majesty of the Lord, but he knew that any such coming brings with it a judgment. If we choose to stay hidden in our preferred darkness, we may well discover to our sorrow what the judgment of Christmas is all about.
II. The Promise Of Exciting Changes
But happily Isaiah could see in the promise of the Messiah's coming other preparations that would bring joy to the hearts of people. This passage describes the promise of exciting changes that will take place in the world. When God comes into the world, there will be a revolutionary newness to things, a shifting from the status quo to a whole new order of life. Just listen as Isaiah describes a few of those exciting changes: "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy."
Christmas does change things, doesn't it? It changes the looks of our homes and our community. It changes our stores and our city streets, our highways and our air terminals. It changes the pattern of life from dull routine to excited anticipation. And of course, it changes things like our bank balance and perhaps even our waistlines! Sometimes it even changes our attitudes just a bit. For at least a few weeks, there seems to be a touch of goodwill that is not felt in other seasons of the year.Now these exciting changes are fine as far as they go, but the exciting changes Isaiah foretold run much deeper. They are changes that strike at the very roots of life, and changes that go well beyond the Christmas season. What Isaiah is trying to describe is the simple fact that since Jesus Christ entered our world, nothing has ever been the same again. Our relationship with God is different. Our call to be a part of Christ's mission in the world is different. Our understanding of what is truly lasting and important is different. The world has never quite been the same place since God's Messiah came among us. Christmas helps remind us of the truth Isaiah could see so clearly: the coming of the Christ means exciting changes - changes in us and in our world that will last long after Christmas is past.
III. The Promise Of Togetherness
Christmas judgment and Christmas changes and now one more reality that Isaiah hoped to prepare us for: Christmas togetherness. Isaiah writes, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." It is almost as if Isaiah could foresee a drawing together of people, a coming home again, a time when the walls that divide us would be taken down, and the people of the world would know a harmony and togetherness never known before.
Now perhaps you are saying, "What's so unusual about that?" All kinds of people come home for Christmas. We have declared a cease fire in our wars for Christmas! Isn't that quite naturally what happens in the world at Christmastime? But Isaiah would be quick to tell us that what he is talking about is much more than a simple homecoming or a cessation of hostilities. Isaiah could foresee what is so often missing in our lives all year long - a peace with God and with one another that is so desperately needed in our world. How often all our feverishness and scurrying about before Christmas and during the holidays really serves to keep us apart rather than truly bringing us together.
Perhaps youve heard the story about one home where on a hectic night-before-Christmas the father was busy with bundles and chores and upset over the bills. Mother's nerves were frayed.The little daughter was constantly in the way, no matter what she did.
Finally she was sent off to bed with some harsh words and a hasty "Good Night." As she prayed the Lord's Prayer alone before going to sleep, the high-pitched tension of the day took its toll; her mind was a little mixed up when she came to the middle of the prayer and said, "And forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."
"Forgive us our Christmases!" How many of us need to pray that prayer?! All too often we let the madness we inject into Christmas drive us further apart instead of letting the peace of Christmas draw us together in a whole new way. Christmas togetherness is not something we manufacture within ourselves. It is God's wondrous gift that turns our hearts outward toward one another. It is God who breaks down all that divides us from one another - even our crazy Christmas celebrations - and finally brings us the true joy of the Lord's grace and mercy and love. Those are the realities that Isaiah could see in the coming of the Messiah: judgment, Christmas changes and Christmas togetherness. As you prepare once more for the Lord's coming, be sure you make time for the realities in Christmas that can change your life now and for all time.
Merry Christmas Everyone,
SG
